ConnectOAKLAND IS A VISION TO RECONNECT NEIGHBORHOODS AND CONNECT CITIES.

At the heart of vision is the transformation of the I-980 freeway into a multi-modal boulevard that will allow for the reconnection of West Oakland to Downtown, open up new public land for housing, jobs and open space, and will serve as a catalyst for better transportation connections throughout the region.

The transformation of I-980 will reintegrate West Oakland and its residents back into the fabric of the City of Oakland and mend an unjust wound that severed - both literally and figuratively – one of Oakland’s most historic neighborhoods from the City as a whole.
ConnectOAKLAND’s goals are to gather community input and explore all ideas and concepts that will help bring this idea to a reality. We strongly believe that this project can be a game-changer for the future of Oakland and the Bay Area.

CAN THE DEMOLITION OF AN UNDERUSED FREEWAY BE THE CATALYST FOR A MORE CONNECTED FUTURE?

A HISTORY OF DISCONNECTION

I-980, or the John B. Williams Freeway, is the portion of the Grove-Shafter Freeway that connects I-880 to I-580 and CA-24. It was initially planned as the eastern approach to the San Francisco Bay Southern Crossing – a second Bay Bridge that was never constructed. The construction of the Grove-Shafter Freeway resulted in significant dislocation and relocation of Oakland residents and businesses that were located in its designated right-of-way. The portion of the freeway currently known as CA-24 (between I-580 and the Caldecott Tunnel) was completed in the late 1960s, however due to a lawsuit, I-980 was not completed until 1985.

We can do better!

Building
Community

Imagine if West Oakland and Downtown were seamlessly connected. Instead of a 560 foot wide canyon bisecting both neighborhoods, an area with twelve new vibrant pedestrian and vehicle streets will re-connect the heart of Downtown to Market Street and beyond. Instead of the current status quo of chronic disinvestment, air pollution, and isolation from job opportunities, redevelopment should focus on integration and investment with the surrounding community and should not lead to displacement of existing residents.

Increasing
Connectivity

Transportation is the lifeblood of the city, so the removal of a highway is not an easy decision. However, I-980 is one of the least used freeways in the Bay Area. The I-980 corridor is both underutilized and perfectly positioned to allow Oakland to connect to the Pennisula through a new transbay tube. If the highway is replaced by a combination of a boulevard and more efficient transit infrastructure, then the I-980 corridor could directly benefit four times as many daily users. Contrary to opinion, removing a highway can actually avoid future gridlock!

Social
Justice

I-980 is a formidable physical, social, and psychological barrier between Downtown and West Oakland. Its presence severed the West Oakland community from the rest of the City, and its existence continues to be a barrier to the establishment of “one” Oakland. The transformation of I-980 into an at-grade, multi-modal boulevard would re-establish the connection of West Oakland to the Downtown, and create new, publicly-owned land parcels in a key area of Oakland. We seek to start a discussion on how to ameliorate a long-standing blemish of the past with a new patch of urban fabric.

Economic Development

The redesign of the I-980 corridor has market forces in its favor. The land under I-980 has virtually no direct present value and has been depressing surrounding property for decades. The potential value of this land as a mixed-use development can be captured through increased tax revenue, and both an Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District and air rights transfers could fund infrastructure and development above underground transit facilities. These tools will result in more public infrastructure being built sooner than otherwise would be possible.

Central Station: The Future Heart of Oakland

East Bay Traffic Will Get Worse If We Keep I-980

ConnectOakland: Bringing the Region Together

Connect with us!

About ConnectOakland

Connect Oakland is a self- organized advocacy organization. We volunteer our time to promote rethinking the underutilized I-980 corridor into a vibrant community that will reconnect West Oakland to Downtown.